To become Kings of the Championship play-offs, Montrose must not forget about the Queens.
On Tuesday Montrose face at Morton for the second leg of the Championship play-off semi-final, aiming to add to Saturday’s 2-1 win.
The Cappielow clash will be exactly two years to the day of their Dumfries disaster.
On that fateful day in 2019, the Angus side travelled to Queen of the South protecting a 2-1 first leg lead in the Championship play-off semi-final.
However, within 40 minutes the hosts had wiped the floor with Montrose as a Stephen Dobbie hat-trick helped them to a 5-0 half-time lead.
The dream of reaching Scottish football’s second tier quickly turned into a nightmare that still haunts Montrose.
Montrose have a chance to exorcise the demons of the Dumfries disaster this week and are ready to use that painful memory to drive them onto success.
“The guys who are still here from that game with Queen of the South will remember that we never gave ourselves a chance,” said Montrose manager Stewart Petrie.
“Stephen Dobbie was on fire and within half an hour the game was done. Hopefully we can give a better account of ourselves at Morton than we did at Queen of the South.”
Petrie is not the only one at Links Park stung by the memories from two years ago.
Saturday’s winning goalscorer Graham Webster admits the Palmerston pounding will be at the forefront of his mind as he faces Ton.
“Morton will come back, there’s nothing surer than that but we’ll be ready for that and definitely go in with a bit of confidence after this win.
“We’ve got to remember that we’ve been in this position before,” said Webster.
“We beat Queen of the South 2-1 in the first leg up here but we weren’t ready for the return leg on the Saturday.
“We got beat 5-0 and Stephen Dobbie scored a hat-trick. He was the main difference on the day.
“That’s why we have to be wary.
“Morton will come back, there’s nothing surer than that but we’ll be ready for that and definitely go in with a bit of confidence after this win.
“The experience down at Queen of the South will hopefully stand us in good stead for Tuesday.
“It will be a hard game down there. I’ve played down at Cappielow a few times and it’s always tough.”
Pyramid play-off
Montrose are a very different club under Petrie’s charge.
Montrose are in a far better place than they were this time six years ago.
Back in 2015, they faced Brora Rangers in a pyramid play-off with their very existence as a league club was under threat.
For 29 second-half minutes Montrose were heading towards the Highland League before late goals from Marvin Andrews and Garry Wood rescued them from the drop.
Montrose are a very different club under Petrie’s charge.
They celebrated League Two title success in 2018 and have finished fourth in League One for three consecutive seasons.
Even when they go behind in games, they pick themselves up.
Saturday was a case in point as Kevin Orsi set up Gary Oliver for a 4th minute opener for Morton.
Oliver drilled low beyond Allan Fleming to give the visitors the lead and seemingly settle the nerves of Gus MacPherson’s full-time Ton team.
However, Montrose dug deep with a superb second-half display to rescue the game.
They drew level on 57 minutes with Russell McLean’s curling 15-yard strike before winning it in style 20 minutes later.
Former Dundee United youngster Cammy Ballantyne cushioned a header into the path of Webster who cracked a stunning volley into the corner of the net.
“Brechin are now facing what we did,” added Webster. “For us to now potentially be playing in a Championship play-off final is incredible. It really is.
“It shows the positive culture that exists at the club that we’ve been able to transform it.
‘From the chairman to the kit men’
“Those guys who have been here for all those years – Terry Masson, Paul Watson and the gaffer who has been here a long time – have driven us forward.
“We’ve got a real continuity, a real togetherness at the club and the whole feel of the place is great just now.
“It goes right from the chairman to the kit men. It’s a bit cliched to say but it is such a family club and we are certainly going in the right direction.”
Montrose: Fleming, Cammy Ballantyne, Steeves, Rennie (Antoniazzi 74) Waddell, Dillon, Masson, Webster, Milne, McLean, Cammy F Ballantyne. Subs: Lennox, Quinn, Callaghan, Mochrie, Ross Campbell, Johnston.
Morton: McAdams, Ledger, Fjortoft, McLean, Jacobs, McGinn, Nesbitt (Blues 79), Oliver, Orsi (Muirhead 78), McGuffie, Strapp. Subs: McGrattan, Lyon, Colville, Easdale, Hynes.
Referee – Grant Irvine
